Kavitha said the BRS was created to fulfil the aspirations of Telangana but had since “changed its name, work and soul,” leading to a disconnect with the public.
In a dramatic escalation of a father-daughter political rift, former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha on Saturday launched her own party, marking a sharp break from the outfit headed by her father, K. Chandrashekar Rao.
The move comes months after Kavitha’s controversial suspension from the BRS, turning what began as internal differences into a full-blown political split within one of Telangana’s most influential families.
Advertisement
Remember The Name: Telangana Rashtra Sena
Advertisement
We refuse to back down, come what may;
It is time the people of Telangana have their say.
We will not let our aspirations decay;
Be reduced to ashes if you dare come in our way.Your Time is Done, Our Time is Now.#TRS… pic.twitter.com/UICyMplYJ1
— Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) April 25, 2026
New party, old name: Telangana Rashtra Sena announced
At a launch event in Hyderabad, Kavitha unveiled her new political outfit, Telangana Rashtra Sena (TRS), reviving the name originally used by her father when he founded the regional party before it was rebranded as BRS.
Positioning her party as a return to core regional politics, Kavitha said the original vision of the movement had been diluted. She argued that the shift away from Telangana-centric issues had weakened the party’s connect with people.
‘Original vision lost’: Kavitha targets BRS shift
Kavitha said the BRS was created to fulfil the aspirations of Telangana but had since “changed its name, work and soul,” leading to a disconnect with the public.
“When a party drifts away from its core agenda, it cannot survive. Telangana still needs a strong regional force to address its unfinished agenda, and that is what our party aims to do,” she said.
Remember The Name: Telangana Rashtra Sena
We refuse to back down, come what may;
It is time the people of Telangana have their say.
We will not let our aspirations decay;
Be reduced to ashes if you dare come in our way.Your Time is Done, Our Time is Now.#TRS… pic.twitter.com/UICyMplYJ1
— Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) April 25, 2026
Suspension triggered ugly split
The political break traces back to September 2025, when Kavitha was suspended from the BRS over alleged “anti-party activities.” The episode marked a turning point, with relations between her and the party leadership deteriorating rapidly.
Kavitha has maintained that she did not quit the party voluntarily but was expelled. Underlining the bitterness surrounding the split, she added, “The BRS party, of which my father is the president, has expelled us. We haven’t left them, neither the family nor the party. We have been expelled.”
Following her suspension, Kavitha had publicly accused senior leaders, including Harish Rao and Santosh Rao, of conspiring against her and weakening both the party and the family. She had also resigned from her position as an MLC.
Tribute to Telangana movement martyrs
Earlier in the day, Kavitha paid floral tributes at Amaraveerula Stupam in Hyderabad, honouring those who lost their lives during the 1969 Telangana agitation, a symbolic gesture reinforcing her regional pitch.
With Kavitha floating a separate party and invoking the original identity of the TRS, Telangana’s political landscape could see a fresh churn. The split not only reshapes regional politics but also underscores a rare and sharp political confrontation within a powerful political family.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: Telangana Jagruthi Founder K. Kavitha pays floral tributes to Martyrs at The Amaraveerula Stupam in Gun Park.
Around seven months after quitting the BRS, Telangana Jagruthi founder K Kavitha is set to float a new political party today.
(Source: K… pic.twitter.com/O3cFT8kNUo
— ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2026
Emotional pitch: ‘People of Telangana are my family’
Framing her political journey as rooted in the Telangana movement, Kavitha struck a personal note, saying her commitment to the state goes beyond party or family lines.
She said that regardless of political affiliations, her focus remains on fulfilling the aspirations tied to the decades-long struggle for statehood.
She said, “But I am a daughter of Telangana. I have the blood of Telangana, the grit of it. We are very stubborn, very committed to our goal. We have spent 20 years of our lives in the Telangana agitation. To develop Telangana, to fulfil its aspirations, whether we have our old party or not, whether our family is with us or not, I believe the people of Telangana are my family. The fragrance of Telangana’s soil will drive us.”
Advertisement
